Laugh United announces comedy acts | News, Sports, Jobs

Performing will be comedians Franklin Miller, shown above, Jon Reep and Alingon Mitra.

PARKERSBURG — The comics have been announced for the annual Laugh United fundraiser sponsored and organized by the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley.

The show will be held April 8 at the Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. Tickets are on sale.

“This is an anchor signature event for us,” Stacy DeCicco, United Way Alliance, said.

Performing will be comedians Jon Reep, Alingon Mitra and Franklin Miller.

“It’s an extraordinary lineup this year,” DeCicco said.

Reep, a touring comic, was the “Hemi Guy” on the Dodge car ads. He has appeared in the movie “Into the Storm” and as Raymus, the pot-smoking farmer in “Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”

Mitra first appeared on TV in NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” He has appeared in the “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Conan,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and “Adam Devine’s House Party on Comedy Central.”

Miller is from Parkersburg and graduated from Parkersburg South High School and West Virginia University. Formerly a baseball scout who dabbled in comedy, Miller is working the comedy circuit at night in New York City.

The night is special for other reasons, too, according to DeCicco. The United Way’s annual campaign closes on March 31 and the event is when and where the final fundraising total is revealed.

Last year, the campaign raised $1.15 million, the third consecutive year a record was set, she said.

“We’d like to be able to repeat that again this year,” she said.

Things are tough, though, as the pandemic continues. DeCicco said. Presently, the United Way Alliance is at about 91 percent of its goal, she said.

Tickets for the show are on sale now, she said. Sales were brisk as soon as the showbill was announced, DeCicco said.

“Tickets are flying out,” DeCicco said. “We’re really excited about what that means.”

Doors open for VIP ticket holders at 5 p.m. Doors open for general admission ticket holders at 7 p.m.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

General admission tickets are $40 each and allows the holder to enter at 7 p.m.

VIP tickets are $80 and holders will receive priority table seating, complimentary drink tickets and heavy hors d’oeuvres.

A VIP 4 Top Table is $500. The reserved table for four includes complimentary drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres.

The VIP 8 Top Table is $1,000 and a table reserved for eight people, drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres.

Sponsors for the show are: Jackson Realty, Funny Bone Sponsor; Discovery World on Market, VIP Sponsor; and McClinton Chevrolet, After Party Sponsor.